France and UN press for ratification of climate agreement

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — France's Environment Minister, who was in charge of global climate negotiations, says she and U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon will be pressing governments to speedily ratify the historic agreement on climate change reached in December.

Segolene Royal told reporters after meeting the U.N. chief on Wednesday that they want the agreement ratified by the time the parties to global climate talks that led to the Paris agreement hold their next meeting in Marrakesh, Morocco from Nov. 7-18.

The agreement will enter into force once 55 countries representing at least 55 percent of global emissions have formally joined it.

Ban said Tuesday that he is inviting countries to deposit their ratifications on Sept. 21 during the annual ministerial meeting of the General Assembly.